Football

PSG's Cavani wins best player award; Monaco scoops the rest

ABS-CBN Sports on May 16, 2017 10:29 AM

PSG's Edinson Cavani reacts after missing a chance on goal during the French League One soccer match between PSG and Bastia at the Parc des Princes stadium in Paris, France, Saturday, May 6, 2017. (AP Photo/Kamil Zihnioglu)

JEROME PUGMIRE, AP Sports Writer

PARIS (AP) — Paris Saint-Germain striker Edinson Cavani was voted the French player of the season after a career-best 35 league goals.

Cavani thrived in his favored center forward role after Zlatan Ibrahimovic left for Manchester United. Cavani, a 30-year-old Uruguayan, can match Ibrahimovic's league tally of 38 from last year if he gets a hat trick at home against Caen on Saturday.

Monaco swept the other awards on Monday, with Leonardo Jardim named best coach, teen forward Kylian Mbappe voted the best young player, and Croatia's Danijel Subasic best goalkeeper.

Monaco all but sealed the French title after beating Lille 4-0 on Sunday to move three points ahead of defending champion PSG with a game in hand and a vastly superior goal difference. Monaco needs a draw against Saint-Etienne on Wednesday to guarantee its first title since 2000.

Jardim guided Monaco to the Champions League semifinals and reached the League Cup final and French Cup semifinals. His team has 102 league goals — matching PSG's tally from last season — and 153 in all competitions.

The 18-year-old Mbappe emerged as one of the hottest properties in European football, scoring 25 goals in all competitions.

He is the youngest to reach 15 league goals in Europe's top five leagues since former Golden Ball winner Michael Owen for Liverpool in 1998, and the first player to score in each of the first four Champions League knockout rounds he played in.

For good measure, Mbappe also got into the France team.

Monaco also had six players in the team of the season: Subasic; right back Djibril Sidibe; center half Kamil Glik; left back Benjamin Mendy; attacking midfielder Bernardo Silva, and Mbappe.

Also, Chelsea defensive midfielder N'Golo Kante won best French player in a foreign league.

Kante was voted player of the year by his fellow professionals in England, and the 2017 footballer of the year by soccer writers there.